Got this as a gift and feeling uncomfortable

[qubed]

I'll take the contrarian POV here and be totally cool with it, assuming the canvas piece is fact legitimate. Courts (in the USA) have ruled that you can take a physical object, rejigger it, and then resell it (IANAL). Sometimes you can get some pretty amazing stuff (Dapper Dan as mentioned above), and many times you just get crap. But fashion is all about remixing, borrowing, and yes, stealing, other people's stuff, and this is just one aspect of that. Without those freedoms, fashion as a whole would be way more boring.

Now, I don't particularly find the the beanie attractive, and find it's reuse of the LV canvas pretty unimaginative, but that's tangential to the above point.

 

[MWTexan]

OP, I totally understand your discomfort and odd feeling. I wouldn’t buy something not truly LV so it feels kinda weird with the reworking of the canvas. But here’s my thoughts.

Keep the hat as is. When you are with your SIL a time or two put it on your head and wear it. It was bought with care. she wanted to gift you something she thought you would like. You might get a few stares from some LV snobs while out wearing it with her. Who cares.
Family over Fashion everyday.

 

[LemonDrop]

I agree say thank you and trash it. If she asks about it later I might lie and say it fell apart, un raveled, the LV tag came off or something and you disposed of it. That way she won't continue to buy anything from that site.

 

[47109]

Slapping a tiny piece of canvas on a random item in order to make money - NAY.

Restoring, repairing or making vintage pieces usable again even though it would modify the design a bit - YAY!

Even though I'm all in for dyeing or for adding extra crossbody strap etc., I'd never wear anything like this. This is not recycling, this is monetizing.

 

[urma]

(...)
There is another aspect to it. The canvas. I know my way around the Louis Vuitton pattern, and this is not an authentic piece of canvas they used here.
(...)

Would you mind sharing by which details you are able to recognise the canvas as non-authentic? I don‘t doubt you, I just would love being able to see the difference myself, and can‘t.

 

[FromRussiaWithLV]

I would just remove the canvas piece and use the beanie

Sometimes people understand our love for brands in a wrong way, but out of good intentions.

 

[boyoverboard]

Yeah, agree with the others. If I received something like this as a gift of course I would thank the person, but I would never wear it. I would probably give it to a charity shop, but I’d try to remove the patch first.

 

[rainy1]

Once my mom (who does not have authentic or understand counterfeits or really much about the luxury brands it is just not her thing ) bought me a very obvious fake 3 in 1 pochette type of thing and she paid a lot for it at a thrift shop that she volunteered at. She was so happy but I was so furious that she was taken advantage of and that she wasted her money on it and I blurted out that it was a fake and she got scammed. I continued that she should return the item and insist on her money back. My anger was that my mom whom I love was taken advantage of, however Not only did I ruin her joy but also I ruined her relationship with the thrift shop. I wish I would have taken a moment, swallowed and thanked her for the THINKING of me, then graciously put the item to sleep in a drawer forever.

 

[Arkansassy]

I am on a few Facebook groups where people sell stuff like this. I personally hate these hats, because like you I think it comes off as fake. However I did buy a strap from a woman who buys old busted LV garment bags and makes really pretty canvas straps out of them. I needed a strap for my LV key holder and I wanted it to match. LV didn’t have anything like what I needed in stock. It’s a beautiful strap and I think only someone really familiar with the brand would know. It’s hand made in the USA, so I don’t feel icky about it.

 

[BULL]

Would you mind sharing by which details you are able to recognise the canvas as non-authentic? I don‘t doubt you, I just would love being able to see the difference myself, and can‘t.

Sure. I just made a comparison pic. The left side is the beanie, the pattern on the right is a close up of the Vuttion canvas from the LV website. I brought them closer and aligned, so the differences are easier to see, and also circled some spots that differ the most: the tips of the flowers are not as "pinched" as on the right one, the left bottom-edge of the L is slanted in the opposite direction, and the other end of the L has quite different proportions too. And as much as I could see (although the original image was not super hi-res), the grain of the canvas also looks much more dense than the right one.
Since you asked, I did some extra research, and theoretically it still can be authentic, the pattern resembles the bags from the French Company era (but it still can be from China, cannot tell for sure). But even if this is the case, that era ended for a very good reason.

 

[showgratitude]

Hi all! My SIL got me this hat as a Christmas present . My first thoughts were:

1. This is tampering with a luxury brand’s intention for their product

2. If it’s not something the company sells, then it comes off as a fake item

3. I’m not wearing it and feel skeeved out that it’s in my possession now.

Thoughts on the integrity of this sort of business, veteran LV customers, and thoughts on the item in general? How can companies even do this? Or am I wrong? Isn’t this tampering and brand stealing? I looked at the company’s website, and it looks like they purchase authentic vintage LV pieces and add parts to make them boho. I know people buy vintage Pochettes to add art, old Balenciagas to rehab and dye... so is this any different with these boho bags?

The hat... it’s an actual piece of a (maybe authentic) LV bag cut and pasted on a beanie hat.
I know for a fact that a popular Instagrammer wore it and advertised it for the shop but she has a ton of *real* high end items but then partners with brands like Walmart to advertise knock-off looking Neverfulls. Ugh. Feeling disappointed because I can’t voice my feelings to SIL; I know the intention was to give a gift, but I disagree with it. Am I wrong?

View attachment 4938221

View attachment 4938222

You can feel however you want to feel. But, I think it's the thought that counts. There are some people who don't have anyone at all that remembers them during the Holiday Season. If the person giving me this really meant well, I would appreciate it so much for its symbolism and I would consider myself lucky.

 

[Loriad]

Sure. I just made a comparison pic. The left side is the beanie, the pattern on the right is a close up of the Vuttion canvas from the LV website. I brought them closer and aligned, so the differences are easier to see, and also circled some spots that differ the most: the tips of the flowers are not as "pinched" as on the right one, the left bottom-edge of the L is slanted in the opposite direction, and the other end of the L has quite different proportions too. And as much as I could see (although the original image was not super hi-res), the grain of the canvas also looks much more dense than the right one.
Since you asked, I did some extra research, and theoretically it still can be authentic, the pattern resembles the bags from the French Company era (but it still can be from China, cannot tell for sure). But even if this is the case, that era ended for a very good reason.
View attachment 4940979

You're the bomb, Bull. Thank you for your knowledge!

 

[lvuittonaddict]

You know what? I’m changing my stance. If I were to give someone a gift and they felt the need to come on a forum and trash it.... I’d rather that person tell me so I can remember to never get them anything in the future.